frankly

adverb

frank·​ly ˈfraŋ-klē How to pronounce frankly (audio)
Synonyms of franklynext
1
: in a frank manner
spoke frankly
2
: in truth : indeed
Frankly, I don't know.

Synonyms of frankly

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Examples of frankly in a Sentence

You can speak frankly to us. frankly, I'd rather stay at home than go to the movies tonight
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
There are four of us on staff at The Verge actively testing Googlebooks and, frankly, our internal Slack discussions have been mostly filled with collective venting of frustrations, disappointments, and bewilderment. — Antonio G. Di Benedetto, The Verge, 9 Oct. 2026 The high-concept mission statement talks loftily of the Spice Route, yet, frankly, still feels underbaked. — John Kessler, Chicago Tribune, 8 Oct. 2026 And quite frankly, the Royals could’ve been one of those teams in the mix. — Kansas City Star, 6 Oct. 2026 Even though the score was 27-27 in the fourth quarter and SC's defense seemed to get a stop on a long third down, a trademark poorly timed, and frankly absurd and ridiculous, roughing the passer penalty gave the Ducks a free first down. — Ian Miller Outkick, FOXNews.com, 4 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for frankly

Word History

First Known Use

1537, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of frankly was in 1537

Rhymes for frankly

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Browse Nearby Words

Franklin tree
frankly
frankmarriage
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Cite this Entry

“Frankly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/frankly. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

frankly

adverb
frank·​ly ˈfraŋ-klē How to pronounce frankly (audio)
1
: in a frank manner
you can speak frankly to us
2
: to tell the truth
frankly, I don't think it's wise
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